Water-rotor.



J. RIPCZINSKE.

WATER ROTOR.

APPLICATION FILED IIIII. I4. IsIs.

LBQQOBI Patented Nov. 5,1918.

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J. RIPCZINSKE.

WATER ROTOB.

APPLICATIONY FILED IAN. 14. |918.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918 `zrosurrr nrrczmskn, `or Wausau, wisconsin.

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"' Specicationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.. 5,- i918.

` application fuea January 1a, 191s. serial no. 211,@03.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l[,l`JosnPH` RIPCZINSKE, a

citizen of the United States "and resident of Wausau, in the county `of `Marathon U and lState of l/Visconsin,"liave invented lcertain new and useful Improvements in ViatenRotors;4 and 1 doy hereby declare thatthe `following is a full, clear, andleXact description thereof. t, t

This invention relates to means of the general typeldisclosed in my coLpendingapplication for patent, filedApril` 3, 1917,"Serial No. 161,758, for utilizing the power of moving bodies of water and applying the same to practical uses, the principal object being to provide an arrangement whereby (the force of a current of watermay be readily controlled to operate various mechanicaldevices. l

It is another object of the invention to provide means whereby the `power derived from the force of the watermay be controlled for use in connection"`with`devices which require varying amountof rpower.

'A still further object is to provide 'an nn- Vproved arrangement whereby the 'outerporof parts which will be hereinafter more particularly describedl ardclaimed and-shown in the drawings, wherein: t

Figure 1 represents a `vertical longitudinal sectional view through a water motor constructed in accordance with my invention,

line l-lfo'f Fig. 2.

said section being taken on the plane'ofthe Fig. 2 is a transverse` sectional View on the plane of the .line 202 of Fig. 1, and

Figs. 3 and 4L are similar views taken respectivelypon the` planes ofthe lines `3-3 fander-f4: of Fig. 1.

iin the. accompanying drawings of this ap- ``j!` lication only the, broad principles `oi" my invention has .been 4illustratefhand'1t will be obvious that the same is capable of use in various different arrangements and under different conditions. For instance the 2device 'may be placed directly :in stream` of water without the addition of" any parts otherithan those shown in the1 drawings; 'or it may beplaced in the spillway of adam; or a' combination with one or more apparatuses of similar or the same construction.

Referring 'more specifically to the drawings'it willbe seen that therotor element, which "isdesignated broadly bythe numeral `1, is disposed for rotation within acylindrical open ended casing 2, the .i opening through which forms arace-way. The casing 2 is preferably stamped or otherwise 'formed from sheet metal andhas t supporting base portion 3 to rest on the bedof a stream or the like. Substantially midway .itheends of the casingiis formedan` annular `opening 4C `which provides an entrance into `an outwardly extending ``a`11nular channel 5 also constructed of sheet metal.

"Thechannelb provides a"housingff'or a `bevel gear ringG forming a 'portion' of the 'rotor 1 and having lits teeth meshed `withthe teeth of abevel pinion Z carried by avertical shaftS as shown in"Fig."1. "lFhe'pOrp tion ofthe materialof which lthe channel is'constructed adjacent the pinionr 7 is enlarged as at 9 to" house the samelwhereby the operating parts disposed outwardly ofthe race-wayare completely covered and k protected.v i

The rotorl also includes an annular ring for a p urality of intermediately pivoted blades 13, said blades being'disposed longiftudinally of the casing 2, and formed intermediately of each longitudinal edge of the several blades is vcastab'oss! from which a 'tr-unnionV 14C extends. 'llhe inner trunnions ia'repivoted in sockets"tfoi'nnedin!ahubv 15,

while the outer trunnions are journaled in circular open side seats 16 formed in the inner edge of the ring 10 and the adjacent portion of the gear ring 6. One side of the seats 16 is obviously open to permit the trunnions to be readily inserted to or removed therefrom, said trunnions being held in position by a detachable retaining member 17.

From Figs. 2 and 3 it will be noted that each of the blades is curved transversely and from Fig. 1 it will be seen th atthe same are also curved longitudinally, the convex longitudinal edges being disposed outwardly.

j By such an arrangement the blades may be formed of sheet metal or light material becauser of the curvature which adds considerableA strength and rigidity. The longitudinal curvature permits the blades to be rotated on their axes a very considerable extent kbefore the ends thereof engage the annular ring 10 or the cylindrical race-way 2. The transverse curvature in addition lto ,strengthening the blades in effect provides pockets whereby the water which passes through lthe race-way will operate to greater advantagethan if vsaid blades were fiat. Said blades maybe of undeterminate length but vit has been found that if they are slightly lessor approximately the same as the diameter of the annular ring v10 thatva very effective operation will result.

The rotor formed of the above enumerated `parts is supported concentrically of the cas- 1ng2 bymeans of a shaft 18 extended through the hubs 12 and 15 and journaled in bearings 19 and 2O respectively which are carried by brace bars preferably disposed horizontally across the opposite ends of the casing 2. Suitable end thrust members 21 of wood are used as is customary. The shaft 18 is used only as a supporting member-in this form of vmy invention, the rotor element being connected with the apparatus to be driven at its outerportion, as by the gear ring G.

. When the blades 13 are arranged longitudinally of the casing 2 as shown in Figs. 1 and ,2 the device will be inoperative. In othervswords to cause the rotor to revolve it is necessary to angle the blades. This is carried on simultaneously by the rotation of a sleeve 22, with which each of said blades is connected by a link` 23. The opposite ends` of thek links are ball-shaped and are disposed in sockets 24 and 25, the first mentioned sockets being carried bythe blades,

whereasjthe sockets 25 are-'formed in the ,plateor ythe like carried bythe 'sleeve,22. The, sleeve 22 vis connected with the vhub k.15

by Vmeans of a retaining collar26.-

.,Rotation' of the sleeve 22 is procured in y a very simplepand effective mannerv by shifting a cylinder' 27 longitudinally ofthe shaft 18 to which it is slidably keyed. The connection between the sleeve 22 and the cylinder is through a pair of anti-friction rollers 28 carried by the former and spiral grooves formed in the latter.

The cylinder is shifted by the rotation of a pinion 29, the teeth of which mesh between annular ribs 30 as particularly shown in Fig. 4. The pinion is carried by a shaft 31 which extends upwardly through the casing 2 above the level of the water and is rotated from any suitable point.

Thus when the operation of the rotor is to commence, the shaft 31 is rotated to shift the cylinder 27 longitudinally of the shaft 18 and thereby revolve the sleeve 22 and move the blades out of their longitudinal position. This movement of the blades may be carried out as rapidly as desired, and as the machinery or apparatus operated by the invention is increased in speed the blades may be angled to a greater degree as is obvious. Owing to the peculiar and iinproved connection between the shifting means including the cylinder 27 and the blades 13, the force of the water on the latter cannot possibly shift the same after they have been once adjusted.

I claim 1. An apparatus of the class described including a journal shaft, a ring surrounding the said shaft, spider arms connecting one end of the ring and the shaft, a hub block mounted on the shaft in spaced relation to said spider arms, a plurality of blades, inner. and outer pintles projectinOa from the intermediate portions of the blades and journaled respectively in the hub and in the other end portion of the ring, and means for adjustably holding the blades against pivotal movement on the shaft.

2. An apparatus of the class described including a journal shaft, a ring surrounding the said shaft and rotatable therewith, a hub mounted on the shaft, a plurality of blade members, inner and outer pintles on the intermediate portions of said blade meinbers journaled respectively in the hub and in the ring, a sleeve slidable on the shaft, a second sleeve mounted on the first sleeve and held against sliding movement longitudinally of the shaft, members connecting the second sleeve and the blade members at one side of their pivotal axis, a pin and spiral connection between the sleeves, and means for sliding the first named sleeve.

3. An apparatus of the class described including a `journal shaft, a ring surrounding the said shaft and rotatable therewith, a hub mounted on the shaft, a plurality of blade members, inner and outer pintles on and in the ring, a sleeve sliolable on the sleeves, and means for sliding the first shaft, a second sleeve mounted on the lirst named sleeve. i `10 sleeve and held aga-inst sliding movement In testimony that I claim the 'foregoing longitudinally of the shaft, links having I have hereunto set my hand at Wausau, in

5 universal connections with the second sleeve the county of Marathon, and State of Wisand having` universal connections With the consin. blades at one side of their pivotal axis, a pin and spiral connection between the JOSEPH RlPCZINSKE.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by adieesmg the ommiaaionei' el Patents,

ashinmen, m. w. 

